The first successful kidney transplant was performed in Boston, by Joseph E. Murray in 1954 (Mattern 2003), since that time science has reached beyond the imaginable within the field of organ transplantation. Yet, with the vast amount of medical breakthroughs in this field of organ transplant, it is the immunosuppressive drug Cyclosporine A, discovered by Jean F. Borel in 1972, that has had an immeasurable impact on transplant survival (Borel, Feurer, Gubler, Stähelin 1976). Many experiments took place after this discovery and like most discoveries came with its share of disappointments. Fortunately, according to Winkler (2000), “Cyclosporin is currently the basis of most immunosuppressive protocols after solid organ transplantation.”
The first successful kidney transplant was performed in Boston, by Joseph E. Murray in 1954 (Mattern 2003), since that time science has reached beyond the imaginable within the field of organ transplantation. Yet, with the vast amount of medical breakthroughs in this field of organ transplant, it is the immunosuppressive drug Cyclosporine A, discovered by Jean F. Borel in 1972, that has had an immeasurable impact on transplant survival (Borel, Feurer, Gubler, Stähelin 1976). Many experiments took place after this discovery and like most discoveries came with its share of disappointments. Fortunately, according to Winkler (2000), “Cyclosporin is currently the basis of most immunosuppressive protocols after solid organ transplantation.”